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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lie · toast · deal · bulb · root · file · kid · pitch

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. lie — to recline
  7. root — of a plant
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. root — the cause
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. root — of a word
  14. toast — bread
  15. kid — child
  16. file — a line of people
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. pitch — completely
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. kid — to tease
  22. file — a document
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. file — a tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com